Thousands protest in Melbourne against lockdown bill

Thousands marched through central Melbourne on Saturday to protest against proposed legislation that will expand emergency powers afforded to the state government during the coronavirus pandemic.

Protesters made their way from the city's State Library to the steps of Victoria's Parliament building.

They carried placards reading "Kill the bill" and "Stop (state Premier) Dan's dangerous new legislation."

The Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 would give Victoria state leaders powers to declare a pandemic and make pandemic orders, including restrictions on movement and quarantine rules.

The state's Labor government is hoping to pass the new bill through the upper house next week with the support of three crossbenchers.

The Law Institute of Victoria, which represents 20,000 legal professionals, said it would be better to have no pandemic powers for a brief period than rush an imperfect, controversial new bill through parliament.

They said it was concerning that under the proposed legislation, a pandemic declaration could be in force for an "indefinite period of time" and that the state premier and health minister would be given "very wide powers" without sufficient checks and balances.

The Victorian opposition agreed the bill would hand the premier too much power and discretion during pandemics.

Existing state of emergency powers in Victoria are set to expire on December 15.

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